Navß2 Intracellular Fragments Contribute to Aß1-42-Induced Cognitive Impairment and Synaptic Deficit Through Transcriptional Suppression of BDNF.

A pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the region-specific accumulation of the amyloid-beta protein (Aß), which triggers aberrant neuronal excitability, synaptic impairment, and progressive cognitive decline. Previous works have demonstrated that Aß pathology induced aberrant elevation in the levels and excessive enzymatic hydrolysis of voltage-gated sodium channel type 2 beta subunit (Navß2) in the brain of AD models, accompanied by alteration in excitability of hippocampal neurons, synaptic deficits, and subsequently, cognitive dysfunction. However, the mechanism is unclear. In this research, by employing cell models treated with toxic Aß1-42 and AD mice, the possible effects and potential mechanisms induced by Navß2. The results reveal that Aß1-42 induces remarkable increases in Navß2 intracellular domain (Navß2-ICD) and decreases in both BDNF exons and protein levels, as well as phosphorylated tropomyosin-related kinase B (pTrkB) expression in cells and mice, coupled with cognitive impairments, synaptic deficits, and aberrant neuronal excitability. Administration with exogenous Navß2-ICD further enhances these effects induced by Aß1-42, while interfering the generation of Navß2-ICD and/or complementing BDNF neutralize the Navß2-ICD-conducted effects. Luciferase reporter assay verifies that Navß2-ICD regulates BDNF transcription and expression by targeting its promoter. Collectively, our findings partially elucidate that abnormal enzymatic hydrolysis of Navß2 induced by Aß1-42-associated AD pathology leads to intracellular Navß2-ICD overload, which may responsible to abnormal neuronal excitability, synaptic deficit, and cognition dysfunction, through its transcriptional suppression on BDNF. Therefore, this work supplies novel evidences that Navß2 plays crucial roles in the occurrence and progression of cognitive impairment of AD by transcriptional regulatory activity of its cleaved ICD.

The urinary microbiota composition and functionality of calcium oxalate stone formers.

Background: Accumulated evidences indicate that dysbiosis of the urinary microbiota is associated with kidney stone formation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the urinary microbiota composition and functionality of patients with calcium oxalate stones and compare it with those of healthy individuals. Method: We collected bladder urine samples from 68 adult patients with calcium oxalate stones and 54 age-matched healthy controls by transurethral catheterization. 16S rRNA gene and shotgun sequencing were utilized to characterize the urinary microbiota and functionality associated with calcium oxalate stones. Results: After further exclusion, a total of 100 subjects was finally included and analyzed. The diversity of the urinary microbiota in calcium oxalate stone patients was not significantly different from that of healthy controls. However, the urinary microbiota structure of calcium oxalate stone formers significantly differed from that of healthy controls (PERMANOVA, r = 0.026, P = 0.019). Differential representation of bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium) and several enriched functional pathways (e.g., threonine biosynthesis) were identified in the urine of calcium oxalate stone patients. Conclusion: Our results showed significantly different urinary microbiota structure and several enriched functional pathways in calcium oxalate stone patients, which provide new insight into the pathogenesis of calcium oxalate stones.

Deep polarization of the ensemble nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds induced by an Airy beam with a long focal depth.

Solid-state spin systems with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamonds constitute an increasingly popular platform for quantum sensing. However, most existing platforms designed with ensemble NV centers exhibit a sensitivity that is significantly less than the theoretical maximum. This low sensitivity limits the expansion of the experimental results and application areas. In this study, the sensitivity is improved by increasing the pumping depth of the excitation beam to increase the number of particles involved in spin polarization at a given laser intensity. Compared with the proposed Airy beam with a long focal depth (25.46 λ) and the widely utilized Gauss beam pumping ensemble NV centers, the spin resonance factor fSR can be improved by 10.02%. This sensitivity-optimized approach enhances the functionality of sensors with NV centers.

Performance on adsorption of toluene by ionic liquid-modified AC in high-humidity exhaust gas.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) frequently pose a threat to the biosphere, impacting ecosystems, flora, fauna, and the surrounding environment. Industrial emissions of VOCs often include the presence of water vapor, which, in turn, diminishes the adsorption capacity and efficacy of adsorbents. This occurs due to the competitive adsorption of water vapor, which competes with target pollutants for adsorption sites on the adsorbent material. In this study, hydrophobic activated carbons (BMIMPF6-AC (L), BMIMPF6-AC (g), and BMIMPF6-AC-H) were successfully prepared using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6) to adsorb toluene under humidity environment. The adsorption performance and mechanism of the resulting ionic liquid-modified activated carbon for toluene in a high-humidity environment were evaluated to explore the potential application of ionic liquids as hydrophobic modifiers. The results indicated that BMIMPF6-AC-H exhibited superior hydrophobicity. The toluene adsorption capacity of BMIMPF6-AC-H was 1.53 times higher than that of original activated carbon, while the adsorption capacity for water vapor was only 37.30% of it at 27 °C and 77% RH. The Y-N model well-fitted the dynamic adsorption experiments. To elucidate the microscopic mechanism of hydrophobic modification, the Independent Gradient Model (IGM) method was employed to characterize the intermolecular interactions between BMIMPF6 and toluene. Overall, this study introduces a new modifier for hydrophobic modification of activated carbon, which could enhance the efficiency of activated carbon in treating industrial VOCs.

Self-healing propagation of a longitudinally varying vector optical beam for distance measurement.

Based on the longitudinal manipulation of polarization, a special vector optical beam (VOB) with customized polarization variation in propagation direction can be generated, whose properties and applications remain to be studied. Here, the self-healing propagation behaviors of the longitudinally varying VOB after an opaque object are investigated, and the localized polarization responses on the object distance are revealed. On this basis, characteristic parameters are defined to measure the distance of object, achieving a minimum relative error of 0.63% in a longitudinal range of 300 mm. Besides, the correlations and uncoupling methods of object distance and size are discussed. Our studies open new ways to use the structural properties of VOB and may be instructive for laser measurement.

Rational Conversion of Imine Linkages to Amide Linkages in Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Oxidation with Enhanced Photostability.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their applications in photocatalysis have been extensively studied, but the instability of imine-linked COFs is an important factor limiting their performance. In this work, two imine-linked COFs were successfully converted to amide-linked COFs through post synthetic modification (PSM). The oxidized COFs presented lower binding energy to O2, exhibited higher photocatalytic activity for oxidation of thioethers and coupling of benzylamines with excellent stability. The present work can serve as a reliable reference for the development of novel highly active and stable COF-based photocatalysts.

Tight focusing of the vector optical field with polarization varying along complex curves of the Poincaré sphere.

Different from the scalar optical field with spatially uniform polarization, the vector optical field exhibits inhomogeneous distribution of polarization on the cross section. Manipulating the variation of polarization in a single optical beam is important to acquire a flexible and controllable focused optical field. Previous studies mainly focused on the vector optical field with its polarization varying along a circular trajectory of the Poincaré sphere. Here, we demonstrate the tight focusing behaviors of the vector optical field with the polarization varying along complex curves of the Poincaré sphere, which is generated by the joint modulation of azimuthal phase and amplitude distributions of orthogonally polarized components. The longitudinal polarization component with a multipolar pattern in rotational symmetry can be achieved with similar distribution of the total focused field. The transverse and longitudinal spin angular momentum distributions in the focal space are discussed. Approximately pure transverse spin angular momentum can be constructed and manipulated in the focal space, which provides the possibility to manipulate the 3D spin flux for the applications of nano and spin photonics.

Analysis of the differential expression of serum miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p by Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules during the perioperative stage of colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the impact of perioperative administration of Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules on the serum levels of circulating miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study is to provide a foundation for future research on the use of Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules to enhance postoperative recovery in patients with CRC. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with primary CRC admitted to the Department of General Surgery at Shanxi Bethune Hospital between June 2020 and December 2020 were selected and randomly divided into two groups: 20 cases in the control group and 40 cases in the experimental group. The experimental group was administered oral Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules during the perioperative period, while the control group was administered oral placebo. Before and after the perioperative period, the expression levels of miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p were compared in the serum of both groups of patients. Furthermore, we established the prognostic value of these three miRNAs in CRC patients. RESULTS: After surgery, the expression levels of miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p decreased in both groups of patients (P < 0.05). Significantly greater differences were observed between miR-21-5p and miR-135-5p (P < 0.001). Expression levels of serum miR-21-5p (P = 0.020) and miR-135-5p (P = 0.023) decreased significantly more in the experimental group than in the control group. The levels of the above three miRNAs after surgery did not correlate with 3-year OS (HR = 4.21; 95% CI 0.37-47.48; log-rank P = 0.20) or 3-year DFS (HR = 1.57; 95% CI 0.32-7.66; log-rank P = 0.55) in two groups. CONCLUSION: Radical surgery reduces the levels of serum miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p expression in patients with CRC. The use of Bifidobacterium triplex viable capsules assists in achieving quicker perioperative recovery from radical surgery in CRC patients, and this underlying mechanism may be associated with the regulation of serum miR-21-5p, miR-135-5p, and miR-155-5p expression levels.

Role of Bushen Huoxue Formula and transplanted endothelial progenitor cells play in promoting endplate microcirculation and attenuating intervertebral disc degeneration.

Objective: To explore whether Bushen Huoxue Formula (BSHXF) improves the angiogenesis ability of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in endplate and its potential mechanism in delaying intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Methods: BSHXF was analyzed via Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC). Rabbit axial compression lumbar IDD models were constructed and the effects of BSHXF, EPCs, and their combination in IDD were determined by MRI, histological evaluation, TUNEL, and immunofluorescence assays. Additionally, CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and tube formation assay were used to evaluate EPCs viability, proliferation, cell cycle and the angiogenesis ability of EPCs between groups. Results: BSHXF and transplanted EPCs both attenuate the process of IDD in the rabbit model assessed by MRI, HE staining and Masson staining. TUNEL-positive NP cells were significantly reduced in the BSHXF group, EPCs group, and EPC + BSHXF group compared to the model group (P < 0.05), with the EPC + BSHXF group showing the most significant therapeutic effect. Immunofluorescence detection showed that VEGF, CD34 expression and quantity of microvessels in the endplate significantly increased in the EPC + BSHXF group compared to all the other groups (P < 0.05). Besides, the CCK-8 assay showed an upregulation of EPC viability and the tube formation assay demonstrated a significant increase in tube length and branching in EPCs cultured with BSHXF-containing serum (P < 0.05). Furthermore, BSHXF-containing serum increased VEGF expression in EPCs cultured in vitro (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Both BSHXF and EPCs transplantation play an important role in increasing endplate angiogenesis and attenuating IDD. BSHXF can enhance the viability and tube-forming ability of EPCs and endplate microcirculation.

Network Pharmacology with Metabolomics Study to Reveal the Mechanisms of Bushen Huoxue Formula in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Treatment.

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a pathophysiological process that leads to severe back pain or neurological deficits. The Bushen Huoxue Formula (BSHXF) is a traditional herbal remedy widely used to treat diseases related to IVDD. However, its pharmacological mechanism needs further exploration. Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms through which BSHXF treats IVDD-related diseases by integrating metabolomics with network pharmacology. Methods: Network pharmacology was utilized to identify potential targets of BSHXF against IVDD. Additionally, an animal model of needle puncture-induced disc degeneration was established to assess the effect of BSHXF. Mice were randomly assigned to the sham group, model group, and BSHXF group. Various techniques, including PCR, CCK-8 assay, MRI, histological examinations, and immunohistochemical analyses, were employed to evaluate degenerative and oxidative stress conditions in mouse disc tissue and cultured nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. UHPLC-HRMS/MS was used to differential distinct metabolites in the disc tissue from different groups, and MetaboAnalyst 5.0 was employed to enrich the metabolic pathways. Results: Through network pharmacology, 15 core proteins were identified through protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted the critical role of BSHXF in addressing IVDD by influencing the response to oxidative stress. Furthermore, experimental evidence demonstrated that BSHXF significantly improved the pathological progression of IVDD and increased oxidative stress markers SOD-1 and GPX1, both in the disc degeneration model and cultured NP cells. Metabolomics identified differential metabolites among the three groups, revealing 15 metabolic pathways between the sham and model groups, and 13 metabolic pathways enriched between the model and BSHXF groups. Conclusion: This study, integrating network pharmacology and metabolomics, suggests that BSHXF can alleviate IVDD progression by modulating oxidative stress. Key metabolic pathways associated with BSHXF-mediated reduction of oxidative stress include the citrate cycle, cysteine and methionine metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. While this research demonstrates the therapeutic potential of BSHXF in reducing oxidative stress levels in IVDD, further research is needed to thoroughly understand its underlying mechanisms.

Single centre analysis of factors influencing surgical treatment of splenic trauma in children.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate determinants impacting the surgical management of splenic trauma in paediatric patients by scrutinizing age distribution, etiological factors and concomitant injuries. The analysis seeks to establish a foundation for delineating optimal operative timing. METHODS: A cohort of 262 paediatric cases presenting with splenic trauma at our institution from January 2011 to December 2021 underwent categorization into either the conservative or operative group. RESULTS: Significantly disparate attributes between the two groups included age, time of presentation, blood pressure, haemoglobin levels, blood transfusion requirements, thermal absorption, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) classification and associated injuries. Logistic regression analysis revealed age, haemoglobin levels, AAST classification and blood transfusion as autonomous influencers of surgical intervention (OR = 1.024, 95% CI: 1.011-1.037; OR = 1.067, 95% CI: 1.01-1.127; OR = 0.2760, 95% CI: 0.087-0.875; OR = 7.873, 95% CI: 2.442-25.382; OR = 0.016, 95% CI: 0.002-0.153). The AAST type and age demonstrated areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.782 and 0.618, respectively. CONCLUSION: Age, haemoglobin levels, AAST classification and blood transfusion independently influence the decision for surgical intervention in paediatric patients with splenic trauma. Age and AAST classification emerge as viable parameters for assessing and prognosticating the likelihood of surgical intervention in this patient cohort.

A randomized controlled trial: The efficacy and safety of Bushen Huoxue formula in the management of lower back pain from lumbar disc herniation.

BACKGROUND: Lower back pain (LBP) arising from lumbar disc herniation (LDH) poses a challenging health issue, often necessitating therapeutic interventions. Bushen Huoxue formula (BSHXF) has proved as a potential treatment option with great clinical effect. However, comprehensive investigations into its efficacy and safety in conjunction with celecoxib for managing LBP from LDH are lacking. The objective of this article is to investigate the efficacy and safety of BSHXF in the management of patients with LBP from LDH. METHODS: This single center, randomized clinical trial was conducted from March 2023 to September 2023 and all patients suffered from LBP of LDH. Participants were randomly assigned to the BSHXF group (celecoxib and BSHXF) or the control group (celecoxib and placebo). The patients received treatment for 2 weeks. Assessment was conducted before treatment, the last day of the treatment, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the treatment. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), Timed up and go test (TUGT), trunk range of movement (Trunk ROM), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used for the evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 206 subjects completed treatment, among whom 104 participants were randomized to the BSHXF group and 102 participants were randomized to the control group. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of the observed indicators (P > .05). After treatment, patients in BSHXF group obtained significant lower scores at 2-week, 4-week, 8-week of VAS, ODI, RMDQ, TUGT, Trunk ROM and HADS than the baseline data (P < .05). The ODI score was significantly lower than the control group at 2-week, 4-week, 8-week (2w: 11.30 ±â€…5.80 vs 14.23 ±â€…6.33, P < .001; 4w: 10.95 ±â€…4.93 vs 13.54 ±â€…6.35, P < .001; 8w: 10.27 ±â€…5.25 vs 12.84 ±â€…6.57, P = .002). Similarly, the scores of VAS, RMDQ, TUGT, Trunk ROM scores of the BSHXF group markedly decreased at 2, 4, and 8-week when compared to their control group (P < .05). Furthermore, no significant difference showed up in the score of HADS between the between the BSHXF and the control group after treatment (P > .05). CONCLUSION: This randomized clinical trial found that BSXHF can help significantly improve the clinical outcomes of celecoxib including pain intensity reduction and lumbar function improvement in LBP patients.

Arbitrary combinations of helical-conical optical beams in free space.

Helical-conical optical beams (HCOBs) have attracted considerable interest due to their peculiar optical features. Their characteristic helical light intensity distribution has exerted unprecedented advantages in many fields, but multiple combinations of HCOBs have not been reported due to the limitations of algorithms and light field modulation techniques. We propose and experimentally demonstrate arbitrary combinations of multiple HCOBs in free space to construct hybrid HCOB arrays. The similarity between the experimental results and the numerical simulation results is 94.22%. The initial orientation of the HCOBs is flexibly tuned by the rotation factor ß, and the optical pen is used to combine the HCOBs. This approach allows multiple parameters in the array to be precisely tuned, including the type, number, and position of HCOBs, adding more design flexibility. The constructed HCOB arrays have a higher degree of modulation freedom and may find applications in fields where dynamic control is in high demand, including optical tweezers, biological cell sorting, and multiparticle manipulation.

Role of thrombospondin-1 in high-salt-induced mesenteric artery endothelial impairment in rats.

The matrix glycoprotein thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) modulates nitric oxide (NO) signaling in endothelial cells. A high-salt diet induces deficiencies of NO production and bioavailability, thereby leading to endothelial dysfunction. In this study we investigated the changes of THBS1 expression and its pathological role in the dysfunction of mesenteric artery endothelial cells (MAECs) induced by a high-salt diet. Wild-type rats, and wild-type and Thbs1-/- mice were fed chow containing 8% w/w NaCl for 4 weeks. We showed that a high salt diet significantly increased THBS1 expression and secretion in plasma and MAECs, and damaged endothelium-dependent vasodilation of mesenteric resistance arteries in wild-type animals, but not in Thbs1-/- mice. In rat MAECs, we demonstrated that a high salt environment (10-40 mM) dose-dependently increased THBS1 expression accompanied by suppressed endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and phospho-eNOS S1177 production as well as NO release. Blockade of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) activity by a TGF-ß1 inhibitor SB 431542 reversed THBS1 up-regulation, rescued the eNOS decrease, enhanced phospho-eNOS S1177 expression, and inhibited Smad4 translocation to the nucleus. By conducting dual-luciferase reporter experiments in HEK293T cells, we demonstrated that Smad4, a transcription promoter, upregulated Thbs1 transcription. We conclude that THBS1 contributes to endothelial dysfunction in a high-salt environment and may be a potential target for treatment of high-salt-induced endothelium dysfunction.

Voluntary running wheel exercise induces cognitive improvement post traumatic brain injury in mouse model through redressing aberrant excitation regulated by voltage-gated sodium channels 1.1, 1.3, and 1.6.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to disturbed brain discharge rhythm, elevated excitability, anxiety-like behaviors, and decreased learning and memory capabilities. Cognitive dysfunctions severely affect the quality of life and prognosis of TBI patients, requiring effective rehabilitation treatment. Evidence indicates that moderate exercise after brain injury decreases TBI-induced cognitive decline. However, the underlying mechanism remains unelucidated. Our results demonstrate that TBI causes cognitive impairment behavior abnormalities and overexpression of Nav1.1, Nav1.3 and Nav1.6 proteins inside the hippocampus of mice models. Three weeks of voluntary running wheel (RW) exercise treatments before or/and post-injury effectively redressed the aberrant changes caused by TBI. Additionally, a 10% exercise-conditioned medium helped recover cell viability, neuronal sodium current and expressions of Nav1.1, Nav1.3 and Nav1.6 proteins across cultured neurons after injury. Therefore, the results validate the neuroprotection induced by voluntary RW exercise treatment before or/and post-TBI. The RW exercise-induced improvement in cognitive behaviors and neuronal excitability could be associated with correcting the Nav1.1, Nav1.3, and Nav1.6 expression levels. The current study proves that voluntary exercise is an effective treatment strategy against TBI. The study also highlights novel potential targets for rehabilitating TBI, including the Navs proteins.

Polyoxometalate-Organic Hybrid "Calixarenes" as Supramolecular Hosts.

Calixarenes are among the most useful and versatile macrocycles in supramolecular chemistry. The one thing that has not changed in the 80 years since their discovery, despite numerous derivatizations, is their fully organic, covalent scaffolds. Here, we report a new type of organic-inorganic hybrid "calixarenes" constructed by means of coordination-driven assembly. Replacing acetate ligands on the {SiW10 Cr2 (OAc)2 } clusters with 5-hydroxyisophthalates allows these 95° inorganic building blocks to be linked into bowl-shaped, hybrid "calix[n]arenes" (n=3, 4). With a large concave cavity, the metal-organic calix[4]arene can accommodate nanometer-sized polyoxoanions in an entropically driven process. The development of hybrid variants of calixarenes is expected to expand the scope of their physicochemical properties, guest/substrate binding, and applications on multiple fronts.

CD147 promotes breast cancer migration and invasion by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: CD147, a transmembrane glycoprotein, has been implicated in various cancer-related processes but its role in breast cancer remains poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the expression of CD147 in different breast cancer cell lines and explored its functional roles, including migration, invasion, drug resistance and modulation of key proteins associated with cancer progression. METHODS: The expression of CD147 was assessed in MCF-10 A, BT549, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines using qRT-PCR and Western blotting, following which lyposome transfections were performed, leading overexpression of CD147 in BT549 cells and knockdown of CD147 in MCF-7 cells. Scratch assays and Transwell invasion and were performed to evaluate the cells' migration and invasion abilities. Sensitivity to 5-FU was determined via CCK-8 assays, and the expression of Snail1, E-cadherin, Vimentin, MMP-9 and the MAPK/ERK pathway were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with normal beast epithelial cells, CD147 was highly expressed in all breast cancer cell lines, with the highest overexpression observed in MCF-7 cells and the lowest overexpression observed in BT549 cells. Overexpression of CD147 in BT549 cells increased, migration, invasion, viability and resistance to 5-FU of BT549 cells, while CD147 knockdown in MCF-7 cells reduced these properties of MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, CD147 influenced the expression of Snail1, Vimentin, E-cadherin, and MMP-9, suggesting its involvement in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulation. The MAPK/ERK pathway was activated by CD147 in BT549 cells, as indicated by increased p-MEK/MEK ratio and p-ERK/ERK ratio. In contrast, CD147 silencing in MCF-7 cells resulted in reduced p-MEK/MEK ratio and p-ERK/ERK ratio. CONCLUSION: In summary, our findings suggest CD147 as a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer treatment, particularly in cases where drug resistance and metastasis are concerns, worthy of further explorations.

Effects of exogenous trehalose on filling characteristics and sugar component content of wheat under high temperature stress during the filling period.

Taking the heat-sensitive wheat variety 'Fanmai 5' (FM5) and the heat-tolerant variety 'Huaimai 33' (HM33), which were screened out in the previous experiments, as experimental materials, we conducted a field experiment with passive heat-enhancing shelters to simulate post-flowering high-temperature environment (average temperature increase of 5.13 ℃) during 2021-2022. During the filling period, we analyzed the effects of exogenous trehalose (10, 15 and 20 mmol·L-1) on the filling characteristics and sugar fraction under high temperature, with no spraying at ordinary temperature as control (CK). The results showed that treating without spraying exogenous trehalose at high temperature (H) significantly reduced wheat grain yield and grain weight during the filling period, and spraying exogenous trehalose alleviated the reduction of grain yield and grain weight at the filling stage under high temperature stress. Compared with the H treatment, grain yield and grain weight of HM33 and FM5 wheat varie-ties increased by 3.5%, 6.7% and 4.2%, 5.4%, respectively. High temperature stress significantly increased the trehalose content and trehalase (THL) activity in flag leaves of both wheat varieties, and decreased the fructose and glucose contents. Spraying exogenous trehalose increased the contents of trehalose, fructose, and glucose in flag leaves, and decreased the trehalase activity in flag leaves compared with H treatment, which could improve the glucose metabolism capacity of wheat at filling stage. The increasing effect of FM5 was higher than that of HM33. High temperature stress significantly reduced starch content of flag leaves and grains, while spraying exogenous trehalose alleviated the decrease of starch content of flag leaves and grains under high temperature stress, which was profit able for the substance accumulation of wheat grains under high temperature stress. Under the conditions of this experiment, spraying 15 mmol·L-1 trehalose at flowering stage was the best treatment for the two wheat varieties.

[Efficacy analysis of autologous facet joint bone block in lumbar interbody fusion of osteoporosis patients].

OBJECTIVE: To compare and analyze the feasibility of autologous facet joint bone block as an alternative to polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage in lumbar intervertebral fusion surgery for patients with osteoporosis. METHODS: From December 2018 to June 2021, the case data of patients with osteoporosis (T value ≤ -2.5 on dual energy X-ray bone density) who underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion in the Fourth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. All the cases were followed up for no less than 12 months and were divided into two groups according to the differences of interbody fusion materials: the autologous facet joint bone block group (autogenous bone group) and the PEEK cage group (PEEK group). The general data [such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), primary diagnosis, distribution of fusion segments, bone mineral density of lumbar (BMD), incidence of preoperative complications], the perioperative data (such as duration of operation, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion rate), and the incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Imaging parameters (disc height, lumbar lordosis angle, segment lordosis angle, segmental lordosis angle, disc height improvement rate, and fusion rate) and lumbar functional scores [visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) score for lower back pain] were compared to evaluate the clinical efficacy between the kinds of intervertebral fusion materials 1 week, 3 months and 6 months postoperative and at the last follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients were enrolled, including 68 cases in the autogenous bone group and 50 cases in the PEEK group, there were no statistical differences in age, gender, BMI, primary diagnosis, distribution of fusion segments, BMD, incidence of preoperative complications, duration of operation, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion rate, incidence of postoperative complications, all the preoperative imaging parameters and all the lumbar function scores between the two groups (P>0.05). Postoperative superficial surgical site infections occurred in 3 patients in the autogenous bone group and 2 patients in the PEEK group. At the last follow-up, 3 cases of intervertebral graft collapse occurred in the autogenous bone group and 5 cases in the PEEK group, 1 case of graft subsidence in the autogenous bone group and 1 case in the PEEK group. All the imaging parameters showed significant differences between postoperation and preoperation (P < 0.05), and all the imaging parameters showed significant differences between 1 week and 3 months postoperative in both groups (P < 0.05). The height, angle of fusion gap in the autogenous bone group were lower than those in the PEEK group 1 week postoperatively (P < 0.05), and the fusion gap height improvement rate in the autogenous bone group was lower than that in the PEEK group (P < 0.05). The cases in both groups started to show final fusion 3 months after surgery, and the fusion rate in the autogenous bone group was 75% 6 months postoperatively, which was significantly higher than the rate of 56% in the PEEK group (P < 0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in the final fusion rate between the two groups (P>0.05). The ODI, the postoperative VAS score was significantly lower than that in preoperation, while the postoperative JOA score was significantly higher than that in preoperation (P < 0.05). The ODI was lower while the JOA score was higher of the autogenous bone group than that of the PEEK group 6 months postoperatively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In osteoporosis patients, good interbody fusion rate and improvement of lumbar vertebral function can be obtained by using autologous facet joint bone block or PEEK cage, while the fusion rate and the improvement of lumbar function with autologous facet joint bone block are better than those with PEEK cage 6 months post-operatively. PEEK cage is superior to autologous facet joint bone block in intervertebral distraction and improvement of lumbar lordosis. Significant disc space subsidence occurred in osteoporotic patients within 3 months after lumbar interbody fusion, and the subsidence of PEEK cage was more obvious than that of autologous facet joint bone block.